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Upcoming
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Family Fun Nights every Sunday!
September 17th -
River Rally Cleanup
September 24th -
Western Fundraising Dance
Box City
Coming in October:
October 15th
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Le Chene Dinner Fundraiser
October 30th
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Trunk or Treat
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Ministry Links
to Website
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Birthdays
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Phil Defibaugh
September 1
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Andrew Eldridge
September 1
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Tom Jennings
September 1
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Taylor Underwood
September 1
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Allen Haynie
September 2
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Frank de los Reyes
September 4
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Dennis Goff
September 4
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Terrill Harney
September 4
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Jim Pierce
September 7
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Pat Rau
September 8
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Michelle Schmitt
September 10
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Mikhaila Silva
September 11
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Ashley Aponik
September 15
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David Aponik
September 15
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Sam Fitzgerald
September 15
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Phyllis Smith
September 17
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Helen Walton
September 17
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Megan Schonely
September 20
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Blake Jackson
September 22
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Pablo Torres-Nava
September 22
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David Huffman
September 26
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Robert Miller
September 27
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Klarissa Arias
September 28
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Lauren McPhee
September 28
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Christi Johns
September 30
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Stephen Lewis
September 30
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Kristian Trujillo
September 30
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Letter From the Pastor and Letter from District Superintendant
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Jeremiah 1:4 reminds us, "Now the word of the Lord ...
Read more...
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Don't miss out on Family Fun Night! More...
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Putting God First in Living and Giving
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Do we worship idols? The answer may surprise you...
More...
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Western Dinner & Dance Fundraiser
More...
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 Find out what's happening in
Maturing Ministries,
COSROW, and
Hospitality Committee.
More...
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Circle of Faith Build, Bridges to Home, Family Promise...
Read more...
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Messenger's Youth Choir is Back!
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| Thank you from Small World Preschool |
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Letter from Pastor Melissa
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Greetings Beloved Community,
Jeremiah 1:4 reminds us, "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, . . . " This reminds us that God knew Jeremiah before he was born and God knew us before we were formed into our present life. God our creator is the one who foresees our coming into this life. Then, while we are in this life God cares for us. In fact, God longs to be a part of our life. John 10:14-15 tells us, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep." Or Luke 12:7 reads, "But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." In just these three verses we learn of God's love for us. Sometimes we grow numb to this love. Sometimes we forget it or it gets lost. Start this Fall by remembering you are loved by the creator of the world. Start this September by worshiping the one who can give you unconditional love and truly change your life. Start this September by gathering with those who seek to grow in this love. Start this September by engaging in some awesome, crazy fun at Family Fun Night discussing this awesome, crazy, unconditional love God has for us.
The second part of that Jeremiah passage has to deal with God's call to Jeremiah to be a prophet. This reminds us that we are all called. In our denomination we celebrate the fact that we are all called to service. In the month of September, we will receive a new Bishop. I wanted to share with you a letter from Rev. Jim Powell, our District Superintendant, on this transition. Included is a description of how our Bishops are chosen.
May the love of God sustain you today and everyday,
Pastor Melissa
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Dear Sisters and Brothers,
A reality of living in the California-Pacific Conference is wildfires! These fires, whether caused by nature or humans, generates fear, displacement, or even death in some case. We have been experiencing the threat and unpredictability of fire here in California this summer (even as I write you this letter) and very near my home last month.
Some believe we have also been experiencing this in the life of our United Methodist Church. There have been heated exchanges between person
s on all sides of issues discussed at General and Jurisdictional Conferences in Portland, OR and Scottsdale, AZ. The heat has been felt in elections and movements... and itineracy. Like a wildfire, this has all created some fear, some displacement, and unrest for many in the Body of Christ.
Regardless of how you are feeling during this time of transition, allow me to speak as one who journeys with you and one who is learning to lean on the Word of God for strength and comfort. We cannot allow the "fires" of this world to distract us from our mission. We are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We are not called to conformity to the world's firestorms, nor to hatred of persons, nor to fear of change. The popular rhetoric of media and social media seems to want to divide us up into camps- for or against- defending
and defensive. The Gospel calls us toward grace, accountability, and community.
As Christians and as United Methodists, we are called to live with the two tongues of flame in our UMC logo. These flames were to represent personal pity and social holiness not fire. There is always tension when we live according to the Gospel and even Jesus speaks of tension for the sake of God's kingdom, however, it is in Christ alone what we find our hope and peace each day.
Christian leadership means challenging the status-quo and can challenge us when we take the m
ission of the Church seriously. This is what I have learned from Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño during my first year of being a District Superintendent. This unexpected Episcopal Assignment to the California-Nevada Annual Conference emphasizes that change and transition are a part of our call to serve. She has been a leader full of "grit and grace", as stated in a recent conference announcement, which has caused some conflict in our diverse faith community.
Personally, I have grown through Bishop Carcaño's witness to her faith in Jesus Christ. My understanding of immigration and the LGBTQIA community has challenged me and my commitment to loving all persons. She has challenged us to stay in dialogue, work as team, and deal with r
acism this past quadrennium and this work is still before us. I have also appreciated her love for the local church and her care (and accountability) for its leadership.
Through the work of the Western Jurisdiction, we have elected a new bishop, and will receive our new bishop on September 1st. Bishop Carcaño is being assigned to the San Francisco Episcopal Area (California-Nevada Conference) and our appointed leader for the Los Angeles Episcopal Area is Bishop Grant Hagiya. Many will remember that Bishop Hagiya was elected from the California-Pacific Conference and has served in the Pacific-Northwest Conference since. Many have asked how the election and appointment of a bishop happens so I have included a summary explanation prepared by Rev. Adiel DePano (Chair of the Cal-Pac Episcopacy Committee) to help us understand and to move us ahead with these decisions.
Shortly, there will be announcements for the celebration receptions for Bishop Grant Hagiya in September and October, hosted
by all 5 districts. Please plan to attend one of these celebrations. Also join me as we hold Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño in our prayers as she moves to her new appointment.
How are bishops assigned?
Bishops are assigned by their jurisdiction or central conference to serve a geographical area for a four-year term. There are 46 episcopal areas in the United States and 20 episcopal areas outside of the United States. New bishops may not be assigned to the area where they were a clergy member for at least four years after their election, however, the Book of Discipline allows for this restriction to be ignored by a two-thirds vote of both the jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy and the jurisdictional conference.
Bishops may be assigned to the same area for up to three quadrennia.
After the election of new bishops, each jurisdictional committee on episcopacy recommends to the jurisdictional conferences the assignment of bishops to their episcopal areas. New bishops are consecrated, not ordained. They remain elders in the denomination, but they become ordaine
d members of the Council of Bishops instead of an annual conference. Assignments take effect September 1.
For further reading, click on the link below:
This may all seem like "fires" but we shall strive to not be distracted from our mission. And as we all move through transitions (myself included), we know where to place our trust and find our peace and joy. We do not have to live in fear, anger, or spiritual death.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4-7
Peace of the Journey,
Pastor Jim Powell
North District Superintendent
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Family Fun Night!
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Don't miss out on the next Family Fun Night! A night where we come together as families for a meal and for growing in our faith. Each Sunday night (except for Labor Day Weekend) starting on August 28th at 5pm, we will gather for a meal then after dinner we will break up into groups for study. There will be a men's group, a women's group, a youth group and a children's group. This will give us all time to be together for a meal and to then be in a study specific to each interest and need. We are all busy and don't need another night out, but this way we have one night out to grow in God's grace and to grow as a family. It was great fun this last Sunday! Look for Family Fun Night to continue on Sunday, September 11th.
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Putting God First in Living and Giving
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Do we worship idols? The answer may surprise you.
Starting on September 25, our church will hear about God's generosity and our response as we experience our stewardship program, first: putting GOD first in living and giving, developed by author and pastor Mike Slaughter of Ginghamsburg Church. There will be opportunities in worship, in small groups, in youth and children's classes, and in devotions that can be used at church or at home.
We are made in God's image and are meant to be creators of life and hope, not the consumers of our culture's shiny gods. We have the ability to change the world and create a legacy that will live forever in the lives of generations to follow. That legacy starts when each of us takes the hard steps of financial discipline and fulfilling the call to generosity that God has placed in all of us.
The goal of this stewardship program is not to make you feel guilty, nor is it to say that you have to be exactly like this or that person. The goal is for all of us to ask questions of ourselves and be open to the possibility that God will lead us in new directions in our lives.
During the five-week program, we'll be challenged in a number of different ways. We'll be asked to look for the idols in our own lives (Hint: Most of them aren't animals made of gold) and name the ways these idols enslave us, holding us back from living in the true freedom that God desires for us.
We'll be challenged to consider the place that money, work, and debt have in our own lives. What are our common understandings of these, and might the witness of Scripture lead us to some different understandings?
We'll be challenged to ask ourselves what it means for us to be faithful, to save, and to give. How do we balance all the competing interests in our lives? What priorities does God want us to have?
Finally, we'll be challenged to give with our hearts, not out of obligation or a sense of duty and not just when we think the recipient deserves our gift. Instead, we'll be challenged to give the way God gives-freely, fully, with no favorites or expectations of repayment.
It is our prayer that, at the end of these five weeks, we will have begun to grow into the individuals and the church that God knows we can be. Please join us in
first: putting GOD first in living and giving.
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Save the Date!
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Readiness 360 Survey
We NEED Your Feedback!
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We have been blessed with an opportunity from the Conference to participate in Readiness360 (If you would like more info please go
http://readiness360.org
). It is a program that helps us identify opportunities for strengthening our vitality as a congregation. To that end we are asking you to take an anonymous online survey. Your feedback is vital to our growth. After our congregation takes the online survey, we will report back our findings and discover next steps together.
to log in and type in our congregation's
9822321292
. Set aside 20 minutes to take the survey between now and September 11, 2016 at midnight. You can copy the congregation's number and after clicking on the link, paste it into the sign in and it will take you to the survey.
If you need help, please contact the church office at 661-297-3783.
Thanks in advance for helping our congregation assess and grow in Christ.
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What's Happening
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 The
Maturing Ministry (M&M's) will meet on September 9th to celebrate birthdays and on September 23rd to start the celebration of Autumn! All are welcome for friendship and food! We start the social hour about 9:30 and finish with lunch.
M & M's meet the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month.
The Hospitality committee will start meeting again this month on the 14th. We will be discussing the role of hospitality in our church. All suggestions are welcome.
The Tuesday morning "Joyful Bible Study" has started the new book "Strong Was Her Faith" by J. Ellsworth Kalas. It is the study of the women of the New Testament. We begin at 9:30 am.
The Out To Lunch Bunch will be meeting Friday the 2nd at Olive Garden at 12:30 This group of women meet the first Friday of the month at different restaurants. Join us for the fun!
COSROW
This year we will have monthly craft workshops to make crafts for the November Boutique, Bake and Book sale.
Come to the workshops, and/or sign up to make projects at home. For ages youth - adult.
Come join in the fun! And help COSROW defray the cost of retreats and more.
Contact: Donna Everhart
Sign up for the Retreat in September on the church patio after church. Join our crafting group. We will sponsor
an event to learn all the facts of CANCER On October 22, in the Fireside Room - Keep the date open!
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J.A.M. Club
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Exciting activities are coming up for the children in our church! They will be participating in Family Fun Night with their own group and eating with their families. They will also be starting the Children's Choirs on September 11th. The Children's Ministry Committee has begun planning this year's Trunk or Treat on October 30th!
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Youth Ministries
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Youth returns! Sunday, 8/28! 6-8pm!
Messenger's Youth Choir is back! Please more information below in Music Ministries...
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Faith & Action |
Here is what Santa Clarita UMC is doing in our community...
On September 11th, our congregation will be hosting homeless families for a one week stay as part of the Family Promise network. There are currently 4 families in the program. Many opportunities are available to help:
- Donate food or beverages.
- Monetary donations to provide funds to purchase breakfast or lunch supplies
- Be a dinner host at an evening meal
- Be an overnight host
- Help putting away supplies on the final Sunday of the families' stay
Stop by the Missions - Outreach Table between services for further information.
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Messenger's Youth Choir is Back
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We are so excited to be bringing back the Messenger's Choir!
Senior H.S. Students Melodie Borja and Natasha Monnett will lead the ensemble with Christine Tavares-Mocha. We have already teamed up with the MYF to plan our first bonding weekend/festival performance on November
Nov.4-6, 2016 where we will get some great critiques musically but also stay at the San Luis Obispo Methodist Church for a weekend of fun and fellowship.
Messenger's Youth Choir will meet on Sundays for 10 practices up to December from 4:15-5pm, right before dinner with the MYF Youth and before we break up into your Jr. high and Sr. High Methodist Youth Fellowship on Family Fun Night.
At our first meeting, we will sing through one of our Christmas Pieces," What Child is This", arranged by Darmon Meader.
Here is the link below to listen!
This should be a fun group for singing, but also challenging musically! We'd love for you to join us as we get ready for our trip to San Luis Obispo! If your parent would like to chaperone, please email Brandon Gonsalves at
brandogonsalves@gmail.com
Performances/Worship Opportunities
Nov. 4-6 Cuesta Vocal Festival / San Luis Obispo Methodist Church Fellowship Retreat
Dec. 11 Sing in Church Service and Christmas Concert (at 6pm that evening)
Practices
Aug. 28 4:15-5pm
Sept. 4 NO PRACTICE
Sept 11 4:15-5pm
Sept 18 4:15-5pm
Sept 25 4:15-5pm
Oct. 2 4:15-5pm
Oct. 9 NO PRACTICE
Oct. 16 4:15-5pm
Oct. 23 4:15-5pm
Oct. 30 NO PRACTICE
Nov. 4-6 San Luis Obispo Youth Retreat and Cuesta Vocal Festival
Nov. 13 4:15-5pm
Nov. 20 4:15-5pm
Nov. 27 NO PRACTICE
Dec. 4 4:15-5pm
Dec. 11 Sing in Church/ Christmas Concert (No more practice until January)
Email if you have any questions! We can't wait to see you Sunday!
Excited to grow musically and spiritually,
Christine Tavares-Mocha, Melodie Borja, and Natasha Monnett
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Thank You from Small World Preschool
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The children and teachers of Small World preschool want  to thank all the wonderful families that donated "Back to School" supplies to help us start our school year off right!
Bags and boxes filled with items from our wish list were brought in from both the preschool families as well as the church congregation!! The eyes of the children lit up as they watched the supplies arrive and they were excited to start using them right away. Bright new markers and shiny new glue bottles were quickly handed out for the children to use to create their first art pieces of the school year. Tissue boxes, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer will be used to keep our classes healthy as the cold and flu season approaches.
Small World's community continues to grow! School has not been in session a full month and already five new families have joined our preschool! Two more families plan to join us on the first of September. Many calls have been coming in after seeing our banner or reading our ads in local publications. Spread the word about us, share the wonders of a preschool that has been in operation since 1969 and has been the place that two generations have started their lives as early learners.
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